SAA should die a natural death - political analyst

The embattled airlines business rescue practitioners, Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana, have issued trade unions and management notices to terminate the contracts of all staff.

Matuson and Dongwana have given unions and employees until next Friday to accept their staff termination proposal.

SAA issued the draft proposal to terminate contracts after government refused to provide further funding in aid of the airline's business rescue proceedings.

Black pilots at the country flag carrier have pleaded with the airline’s business rescue practitioners to save their jobs.

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But Mathegka doesn’t believe the government will save the flag carrier.

"Those are still luxuries. There will be massive unemployment no doubt about it.

"Airline industry - even the healthy ones - are facing problems so imagine an airline industry like South African Airways, whose existence was not based on the idea that it should exist, but just because there was no political consensus within ANC as to what to do about it.”

He adds that SAA would have to be built up from scratch if the government should decide to keep it.

"So, the coronavirus came about a tragedy that could not be foreseen and I'm afraid SAA will have to go down with this and it should die a natural death.

"The reality is the airline is no longer there and to try to build is to try to build a completely new airline."

Mathegka says the decision on SAA will cause tension when government draws up its economic recovery plan.